Steam Into Christmas — Didcot Railway Centre

Steam Into Christmas is Didcot Railway Centre's Christmas event. The operator's story is that Santa's reindeer have escaped and he needs help to find them before Christmas Eve: children track them down at special reindeer stations hidden around the living museum, home to Great Western Railway steam locomotives, carriages, wagons, buildings and artefacts.

Every child receives a special passport and a Christmas stocking on arrival, and collects a small gift at each reindeer station found. The trail ends at Santa's giant toy workshop, where children tell him their Christmas list and choose their own present from his selection.

The ticket includes unlimited train rides on the main demonstration line throughout the day. The cafe serves festive refreshments, and visitors can explore the original 1932 GWR Engine Shed, where some locomotives can be climbed onto the footplate. Didcot Railway Centre is operated by the Great Western Society Limited, a registered charity.

A reindeer hunt with a passport, collectable gifts and a Christmas stocking, a visit to Santa's toy workshop, unlimited train rides on the main demonstration line and time to explore the museum. The operator suggests allowing around 2 to 3 hours. Gates open at 9.30am, a specific arrival time must be booked, and the centre closes at 4.00pm.

Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ (phone 01235 817200). Book a specific arrival time. Complimentary tickets are not valid for this event, no discounted rates are offered to Great Western Society members' children or child members, and a small charge applies to carers. The cafe is open for festive refreshments.